Police in Paterson, N.J., continued their frantic search yesterday for the a desperate 4-year-old girl who called 911 to say her mom had been “hit” and was no longer breathing.

Cops have been unable to trace the call, which they believe was made on a cellphone.

Authorities yesterday released an audiotape of a conversation between the young girl – who identified herself as “Jessie” – and a frantic emergency dispatcher who tried in vain to determine the location of the stricken woman and her child.

The dispatcher is heard on the audiotape trying to keep Jessie on the line by getting her to sing the alphabet song.

But the giggling 4-year-old hung up on the crisis counselor after about five minutes.

Flummoxed emergency workers and harried police dispatchers in Paterson were desperately looking for Jessie, who officials say gave the dispatcher the wrong address. Local police have been going door-to-door since Tuesday in a desperate search for mother and child.

The mystery began when Jessie told dispatchers that her mother was hurt and needed help.

“My mommy got hit,” she said during the taped conversation.

Officials said the dispatcher tried to keep Jessie talking, but that the girl hung up after five minutes, saying she was too tired to talk.

Law-enforcement officials who examined the audiotape said yesterday they believed the call was genuine.

Jessie told cops she lived on Sparrow Street in Paterson, but officers who rushed to the address said it did not exist.

Lt. Don Giaquinto said his detective squad had “exhausted pretty much every lead that detectives have been pursuing.”

Earlier this year, the FCC directed phone companies to deploy new technology to determine the location of a cellular phone call to within 55 yards.

“The worst-case scenario is there’s a 4-year-old girl home alone and her mother is injured,” said police Capt. Danny Nichols.

PIECES OF THE PUZZLE

Excerpts of the 911 call received Tuesday night by Paterson police after being transferred from state police:

Dispatcher: Jessica? What’s the problem there?

Jessica: Huh?

Dispatcher: What’s gooing on at your home, Jessica

Jessica: My mommy got hit.

Dispatcher: Your mommy got hit?

Jessica: Yeah.

Dispatcher: What did she get hit with? Who did it? Do you know who did that?

Jessica: No.

Dispatcher: Whose telephone are you using?

Jessica: House phone.

Dispatcher: What’s your phone number?

Jessica: 973 … I forgot.

Dispatcher: What floor are you on?

Jessica: First.

Dispatcher: What color is your house?

Jessica: White.

Dispatcher: It’s a white house?

Jessica: Yeah.

Dispatcher: OK, are you home by yourself, or is it just you and your mom?

Jessica: Me and my mom.

Dispatcher: Is your mom breathing?

Jessica: No. I have to go.

Dispatcher: Jessica, I need you to stay on the phone with me.

Jessica: Uh-huh.

Dispatcher: Jessica, what street is your house off of? What street is your house near? I know it’s on Sparrow Street, but do you see another street sign?

Jessica: No. I wanna go.

Dispatcher: Jessica, I need you to stay on the phone. I have to get help for your mommy … Tell me what happened.

Jessica: I was sleeping.

Dispatcher: You were sleeping? What happened when you woke up?

Jessica: I saw my mommy … I have to go.

Dispatcher: Jessie, I need you to stay on the phone with me until the police and ambulance get there. Are you gonna open the door for the police officer?

Jessica: Yeah.

Dispatcher: How old are you, Jessica?

Jessica: Four.

Dispatcher: You’re 4 years old? Do you go to school?

Jessica: No.

Dispatcher: You don’t go to school? You don’t go to day care or anything like that?

Jessica: Yeah.

Dispatcher: You do? What’s the name of the school?

Jessica: I don’t know.

Dispatcher: You don’t know the name of the school? You know your teacher’s name?

Jessica: Yeah.

Dispatcher: What’s your teacher’s name?

Jessica: Miss Winter.

Dispatcher: Miss Winter? Do you like her?

Jessica: Yeah.

Dispatcher: You do? What’s your favorite thing to do in school, Jessica?

Jessica: A-B-Cs.

Dispatcher: Your A-B-Cs? Do you know your A-B-Cs?

Jessica: Yes.

Dispatcher: Can I hear them?

Jessica (sings the alphabet song).

Dispatcher: Very good! That was really good!

Jessica: I could go?

Dispatcher: No, sweetheart. I need you to stay on the phone with me until the police get there, OK?

Jessica: Yeah.

Dispatcher: Is your mommy bleeding a lot? No one came in the house?

Jessica: I don’t know. … I wanna go.

Dispatcher: No, Jessie. I need you to stay on the phone with me, OK?

Jessica: Yeah.

Dispatcher: I know you’re tired, sweetie. But I need you to stay on the phone with me. I need your help, OK? For your mommy. Are you near a store or anything like that?

Jessica: Yeah.

Dispatcher: What’s the name of the store that your home is by?

Jessica: They sell candy.

Dispatcher: Do you know the name of the candy store?(A click is heard and the line goes dead.)